Ohio's running back depth chart used to be the deepest of the team.
With four scholarship players on the roster before the season opener, the Bobcats were confident in their ability to run the ball with talent throughout the unit. They even moved Bo Hardy from running back to safety, as they believed he would be more helpful on defense.
But in the middle of the second quarter at No. 15 Tennessee, Vinny Emanuele took a handoff for his first career stat as a Bobcat.
Over the course of two and a half games, Ohio went from a three-year veteran starting at running back to a walk-on taking his first carry.
"We're not in great shape in terms of numbers at that spot," Coach Frank Solich said Monday during his weekly press conference.
Emanuele and Papi White became the only running backs on deck for the Bobcats on Saturday, as former starter Dorian Brown went down with an undisclosed injury.
Week one starter A.J. Ouellette had surgery on an injured foot last week and is out for the season, Solich said. Maleek Irons is questionable to play against Gardner-Webb this Saturday.
"The plan is to continue with Papi being a multi-faceted back for us," Solich said. "Vinny has popped up for us, and I think he's a great walk-on. I think he's going to help our program, and he's helping our program right now."
To cope with with injuries and lack of depth, the Bobcats will move Hardy back to the running back spot this week at practice –– another change for the fifth-year senior.
"At the end of practice, what we do is we have a 10-minute 'young team' practice," Solich said. "We'll get anywhere from 16 to 20 reps for those young guys that don't play in the games. What we're gonna do is put Bo Hardy at running back in that period. I think he'll get enough to know what he's doing. He played in the mid-20s in plays this last game at safety."
So for right now, the Bobcats will have White, true freshman Emanuele and converted safety Hardy in the backfield at running back.
It's not exactly where the Bobcats thought they would be after week three.
